Cassius Cheong’s Positively Quit Manual: The Thinking Person’s Guide to Stop Smoking
Cassius Cheong's Positively Quit Manual: The Thinking Person's Guide to Stop Smoking
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Product Description
Cassius Cheong's Positively Quit Manual is the thinking person's guide to stop smoking. The Manual works best for smokers who are rational, open-minded and determined to quit for good. If this description fits you, you'll likely find it a useful tool to help you stop smoking for good. Visit positivelyquit.com for more details.
"Cassius Cheong has done a marvelous job of (1) identifying essential cognitive, behavioral, social/situational, and biological elements of the smoking habit, (2) distilling these down to very manageable proportions, then (3) turning it into a smoking cessation plan." - Dr. Carl G. Hindy, Clinical Psychologist, Nashua, NH
"Positively Quit Manual by Cassius Cheong is like a big gift in a small package. The little book has many nuggets of wisdom. I recommend the book for smokers who want to quit positively."- Neharika Vohra, Ph.D, Social Psychology, Professor, Indian Institute of Management (edited by author)
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Rating
There are few things more frustrating than trying to quit smoking. Millions of people acknowledge the benefits of quitting, but are repeatedly stymied by the difficulties.
This manual simply but systematically lays out a cognitive framework of the psychology of smoking, and then a multi-pronged approach to identifying why a person smokes and how to successfully quit.
After reading a review copy that was sent to me, I was impressed by its concise writing style, organization, and practicality. I have already started recommending it to patients as a useful resource.
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I used to smoke, my brother used to smoke, and my son has tried many times to quit smoking. Cheong addresses everything I know from my experience that works and doesn’t work. As a psychologist, I’m impressed with how relevant research, addiction principles, and psychological tools are all covered in easy-to-read, everyday language. The description reads “works best for those who are rational, independent-minded and determined to quit for good,” but if you think of yourself as more “emotional” than “rational” or even if you’re not yet sure how determined you are to quit, buy the book anyway. Yes, it is logical and presents a convincing left-brain argument; however, it effectively addresses the underlying emotional components of addiction to smoking. Of course, the book’s length is a key merit among the landslide of available books – long enough to cover what’s necessary, but short enough for a quick read, and with a step-by-step guide to quitting. I’m ordering a copy for my son today!
Rating
Cassius Cheong’s The Positively Quit Manual is a guide to quitting smoking for people who need a fresh, new perspective. I found the advice to be extremely relevant to beginning the behavior modification that it requires to finally quit.
As a current smoker, I have tried the following methods over the past 35 years:
1. Cold Turkey – Failed 5 or 6 times. I still have ex-friends that don’t speak.
2. Hypnosis – I paid $100 for a short nap and a cassette tape that I listened to one time and fell asleep again.
3. Zyban – Or as my kids called it, “Dad the smoking zombie”.
4. Nicotine Patch – Didn’t faze my addiction one bit. It did give me a rash that I enjoyed.
5. Nicotine Gum – Smoking and chewing gum became my new addiction. I had to wean myself off the gum with more cigarettes.
6. Chantix – 3 rounds of complete and utter failure. I will admit it lessened the urge and I did cut down but in the end, it didn’t work. I could have bought a good used car for what I spent on this.
7. Copenhagen Snuff – I felt sure this would work. Similar to the gum, I became addicted to both snuff and cigarettes. Finally gave up the snuff after I had to have a golf ball size tumor surgically removed from under my jaw.
So you see, this is not my first rodeo.
I believe the strongest part of this book is the way the author took the reasons we cite for not being able to give up smoking and/or the pleasant attributes and completely destroyed them with logic and reasoning. I am the worlds worst at trying to rationalize my weakness. This book gave an authoritive and compelling new perceptive on these so-called rationalizations. As the book states, the cigarettes are causing the problems that we pretend they are fixing. Almost makes you mad at yourself for not looking at it from this angle.
This book is just full of great advice. I am going to read it again and then set my quit date (while not telling anyone – again, great advice).
I hope you find this review helpful
Michael L. Gooch
Author of Wingtips with Spurs: Cowboy Wisdom for Today’s Business Leaders
Rating
As Cheong points out, most people who smoke didn’t “decide” to become a smoker, and almost everyone who does smoke has tried to quit (probably many times) because they know it’s the intelligent thing to do. Cheong has managed to package the essential science, wisdom, motivation and common sense that are fundamental to quitting into a powerful little booklet. If you smoke and want to quit, Cheong can’t do it for you – but with this manual he’s done the next best thing.
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Cassius Cheong has produced a quick read that’s packed with information you didn’t know about smoking and quitting – at least, I didn’t. And, if you really want to quit, this slim volume can help you do it, with much less suffering than traditional methods.
Here’s my take on “Positively Quit”:
PROS:
1. Cheong shows you how you’ve been conditioned to believe that quitting is difficult. Once you change your expectations, you may find that quitting is not so difficult after all. And Cheong provides plenty of techniques to help you through the process.
2. Although the volume is slim, it is well-written. You can speed through this book in an hour and spend the next two digesting all the information he has provided.
3. When Cheong suggests that this manual is for thinking persons, he means it. There’s plenty of research to get you thinking and thinking differently about quitting.
CONS:
I would have liked to have a bibliography included in this book. I was interested in the research and wanted to read more. The lack of bibliography, however, is not significant enough to dock the number of stars the book deserves.
OVERALL:
I highly recommend this book for smokers who are looking for motivation and techniques for quitting. It’s, by far, the most interesting book I’ve read on the subject.
NOTE:
This review is based on my reading of Positively Quit provided to me by the publisher for my review.
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I gave this book to my adult son who is ready to quit and he’s finding it very helpful! I’m not a smoker myself, but I looked it over before I gave it to him and it clearly contains information that will be very inspirational to him and to many others who are ready to quit. I’m also going to recommend it to my clients. Pamela D. Blair, Ph.D., author The Next Fifty Years: A Guide for Women at Midlife and Beyond
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If you want to quite smoking, do you begin cold turkey, gradually, or with nicotine replacement? Cassius Cheong’s Positively Quit Manual suggests starting in your head. What do you think about smoking and more importantly about yourself and your relationship with cigarettes? The approach is logical and detailed but easy to follow. It starts with how you view yourself and the process of quitting. Next you will consider assumptions about smoking, reasons people start smoking and justifications for smoking. Then it debunks common false beliefs about the benefits of smoking.
The manual provides a step by step approach to preparing to quit, managing smoking triggers, handling the first day and then maintaining progress. The guide is comprehensive yet succinct. The steps are clearly laid out in order and accompanied by checklists to keep you organized.
The author supports his opinions with research conclusions. You don’t have to wade through endless pages to find the conclusions. Research findings are laid out clearly and cited with references for those interested in a more detailed account. Cheong also includes a list of twenty-three books to help round out your self improvement quest.
This approach is designed for “smokers who are rational, independent-minded and determined to quite for good.” It is a complete but concise guide to success with smoking cessation even if your previous efforts have left a bad taste in your mouth.
Rating
As someone who doesn’t have a smoking addiction problem, I approached this book not from how it can help me quit smoking but how it can help me with the same kind of self-defeating self-talk that defeats smokers every day. I found the principles actually have wide application, though this book is squarely aimed at the self-selected victims of tobacco companies.
If you are a smoker, it means you are still enslaved by this killer habit. This book probably holds the keys that will set you free. Whatever you’ve tried thus far hasn’t worked, so give this a try.
The principles in this book can help anyone with similar kinds of self-deceptive disorders, including overeating. Cheong helps the reader understand the nature of the self-deception and how to replace it with reality. Many smoking cessation programs merely substitute another form of self-deception, which feels wrong and leads the smoker to go back to the old, more comfortable one of smoking.
This book is thin, so it’s no burden to read it. The burden comes in agreeing to let go of rationalizations, self-deception, and just plain dumb excuses. Once you do that, you can walk through the mental realignment process that Cheong provides so you see things clearly. Smoking does more than put a haze in the air, it puts a haze in your mind. When you agree to clear the air in both places, you can begin the process of actually doing so.
Cheong’s method doesn’t require buying expensive chemicals or getting expensive treatments. It doesn’t involve making you and those around you miserable (in fact, he explains how to not do this). It’s not about “giving up” smoking. It’s about no longer being controlled by it.
If you now smoke, you have many concerns throughout the day. You can’t go somewhere without bringing along enough cigarettes, for example. One reason you have these concerns is you see some things exactly backwards. You think smoking makes you feel better, but the reality is it fills a temporary hole created by the nicotine cycle. If you didn’t smoke at all, that hole wouldn’t exist.
Smoking is the number one cause of male impotence, so it’s not a sexy thing for men to do. A woman with smoker’s face and that stench filling any room she walks into isn’t exactly sexy either. Any reason you can find for smoking is based on delusion. Part of Cheong’s approach is to address those “reasons” that people use to continue smoking.
Basically, he provides a fresh perspective from which a smoker can look at smoking and then take positive steps to start breathing fresh air again. If you can think, you can use this approach. And if you use this approach, the chances are good you will no longer be a slave to cigarettes. You’ll save yourself hundreds of dollars in purchase costs over the next year and many thousands of dollars in other costs (not just medical, but those too) over the remainder of your (now longer) life.
For the little bit of time and money you’ll invest in this book, you really can’t go wrong. If you smoke, buy one copy for yourself and another for a friend who smokes. If you don’t smoke, get a copy for someone who does. Nobody deserves to die gasping for breath on a ventilator, despite what tobacco company executives seem to think about that.
Rating
As a minister, this is a book I would give to people to help them quit smoking. It is a clear way to overcome this habit. Imagine how much better you will feel, how much money you will save, and imagine the difference in your life. This book makes the promise to help you to quit and delivers. The question is will you have the guts to buy it because it will help you be successful in breaking this habit. The book is short, and practical. There is no pie in the sky advice, but some real “to do’s” that will make the difference in this battle for your lungs and body. Buy this book and bless those around you and mostly yourself.
Rating
Cassius Cheong has done a marvelous job of (1) identifying essential cognitive, behavioral, social/situational, and biological elements of the smoking habit, (2) distilling these down to very manageable proportions, then (3) turning it into a smoking cessation plan. What results is a slim volume that you can read in one easy sitting, even if your “not a reader” and not someone who cares much for self-help books. You could carry it in your pocket to re-read sections when you need a reminder, actually carrying it instead of that pack of cigarettes! It’s a brief, practical, no-nonsense guide. Mr. Cheong isn’t trying to impresse you with his prose, just tell you what you need to quit the habit and move on.
Carl Hindy, Ph.D.
Clinical Psychologist
Nashua, NH
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